Dryad
Tree nymphs (cf. Kubera, SHPG pp. 67-69).
- Court: Seelie
- Birthrights:
- Fertile Minds: The dryad
can increase the productivity of any activity or undertaking of which she is
not the primary beneficiary. This costs 1 (or more) Mana trait(s) and the exact
results and duration vary. Examples: temporarily increasing Resources,
speeding the productivity of a workshop, causing individuals to heal somewhat
more quickly, etc.
- The Glow: Dryads gain additional
Alluring and Friendly traits (which can exceed the limit) and
are one trait up on all challenges related to befriending or seducing someone.
(The Glow may be used in human Seeming.)
- Frailties: Dryads begin with only one method of
regaining Mana (in addition to Scouring [only]): Harvesting,
which must be done at a specific tree. The nymph physically melds into her tree
(as Earth Meld, but unless she has the Protean Discipline she
cannot use this power anywhere else) and makes Harvesting challenges normally.
- Immunity: Like their cousins the ghille dhu, dryads in their
true form suffer only half damage from wooden weapons (which does not provide
any special protection to the metal tips of, e.g., arrows), and such damage
is always Bashing, unless supernaturally enhanced.
- Bans: cannot resist counting (anything) if not otherwise occupied;
never refuse a tryst (subject to convenience and personal orientation/taste).
- Weakness: Cold Iron.
- Binding: Destroying the tree to which a dryad is anchored severs
her access to Mana (even unspent traits, and even if she knows additional methods
of regaining Mana) until she can find a replacement tree (and not just any old
tree will do) and attune herself to it (which requires a Permanent Willpower
trait). The shock of losing her tree can send a dryad into a coma (if she fails
a Physical "staking" challenge using the Survival Ability).
- Regaining Mana: Harvesting (only). Those who later gain other
methods commonly learn Reverie (Special: Sexual) from satyrs, who are always
hanging around.
- Preferred Disciplines: Chimerstry, Presence, Thaumaturgy:
The Green Path (as Discipline)
- Origin: Dryads of Earthly Origin were anchored to trees far
from "civilized" habitation, or else they slumbered within their trees,
perhaps for centuries. Earthly dryads may have the Anachronism Flaw or
suffer from bouts of Amnesia as they drifted in and out of wakefulness.
Some few who managed to remain awake may have kept ties to other dryads and
nature-oriented fae like the ghille dhu, wood elves, and so on. Dryads often
possess levels of the Sanctum Background (their tree), may have Allies
among other nature-oriented fae, Contacts among rural humans, and even
know of Nodes hidden away from mortal cities.
- Appearance: Dryads are all female, with pointed ears and somewhat
larger eyes and longer fingers than humans, skin the color of tree bark, and
hair that changes color according to the seasons: green in spring and summer,
brilliant red or orange in autumn, brown or grey in winter. Among fae they tend
to wear clothing of leaves and bark or nothing at all; in human society, even
when not hiding their nature, they like to dress as fashionably as possible.
Some dryads of low Rank and human-compatible skin tones may, at the right time
of year or with the aid of wigs or hats, pass as human without the Seeming
Background.
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